Flight | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was engaged in a firefighting mission and departed Medford Airport around noon. En route, three engines stopped and/or lost power and the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed into Diamond Lake. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, both crew members were injured.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure in flight caused by a fuel exhaustion. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Mismanagement of fuel,
- Fuel exhaustion,
- Jettisoned load,
- Failure of two or more engine,
- Aircraft came to rest in water,
- Complete power loss on three engines,
- No fuel gauges on aircraft.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft D18S off Manitou Beach: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1970 at 0045 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft D18

Operator:

Aero Taxi - USA

Registration:

N332R

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Rockford - Detroit

MSN:

A-8

YOM:

1945

Location:

Manitou Beach

Michigan

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3050

Captain / Total hours on type:

1200.00

Circumstances:

The pilot and his passenger departed Rockford in the early morning and completed several flights in the region all along the day. While cruising by night over Lake Michigan, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed into the lake off Manitou Beach. Both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control in flight after the pilot became lost/disoriented. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Physical impairment,
- Pilot fatigue,
- Departed Rockford approximately 18 hours prior to the accident,
- Flew 10 hours during the day,
- Attended copilot picnic observed with can beer,
- Toxicologic not decisive.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Aukštelkai: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1970 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-29387

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Radviliškis - Radviliškis

MSN:

1G79-18

YOM:

1967

Location:

Aukštelkai

Apskritis of Šiauliai

Country:

Lithuania

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1750

Aircraft flight cycles:

14723

Circumstances:

During an unauthorized flight from Šeduva after crop-spraying operations for the sovkhoz (state farm) of Gražionis located near Radviliškis, the intoxicated pilot performed unauthorized manoeuvre at low height with two unauthorized passengers on board. He lost control of the aircraft that lost speed and crashed into the Možaicai forest located near Aukštelkai, 25 km east of Šiauliai, and burnt out. The pilot and both passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control during hazardous maneuvers performed by an intoxicated pilot.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Ukhta

Date & Time: Jul 25, 1970

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-41295

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1G64-10

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an engine failure, the aircraft stalled and crashed near Ukhta. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Cessna 401B near Yakima: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1970 at 0230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 401

Operator:

Registration:

N7917Q

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Omak – Troutdale

MSN:

401B-0017

YOM:

1969

Location:

Yakima

Washington

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7029

Captain / Total hours on type:

513.00

Circumstances:

While cruising by night under IFR mode with the autopilot system ON, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Yakima. The wreckage was found a day later. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot has been killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was 10 miles of the intended course for undetermined reason.

Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Satyshevo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1970 at 0610 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-32106

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Satyshevo - Satyshevo

MSN:

1G93-12

YOM:

Location:

Satyshevo

Republic of Tatarstan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1932

Aircraft flight cycles:

6655

Circumstances:

While on a crop-spraying flight for the sovkhoz 'Mars' located in the Bogatyye Saby district of Tatarstan, the captain fall asleep in the cockpit and let the second pilot in command. During flight, the copilot failed to detect a forest belt in time while flying a turn at low height. The aircraft collided with trees of the forest belt 2 km west of Satyshevo, crashed 170 metres further on, caught fire and burnt out. While a pilot was killed, the second occupant was injured.

Probable cause:

The captain was asleep at the time of the accident and the copilot was managing the mission alone. It was reported that the crew was performing all the spraying missions without any protection, while the pesticides used were highly toxic and dangerous. It was also noted that the altimeters were not connected at the time of the accident.

Crash of an Antonov AN-22 into the North Atlantic Ocean: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1970 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-22

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-09303

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Moscow - Keflavik - Halifax - Lima

MSN:

9340207

YOM:

1970

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a humanitarian flight from Moscow to Lima, Peru, carrying 15 passengers, a crew of eight and various goods in favor of the victims of the recent earthquake. About 47 minutes after takeoff from Keflavik Airport, radio and radar contact were lost with the aircraft that crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Atlantic Ocean. SAR operations were conducted jointly by Canadian, American, Iceland and Soviet Authorities but not trace of the aircraft nor the 23 occupants was found. All SAR operations were suspended after a month.

Probable cause:

Due to lack of evidences, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-85-DL in South Vietnam: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-15583

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

20049

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in South Vietnam while completing a local training mission. The crew lost control of the airplane following an in-flight engine failure. A crew member was killed while three others were injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in La Paz

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

TAM-17

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered an accident at La Paz-El Alto Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 in Albertacce: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Canadair CL-215

Operator:

Registration:

F-ZBAX

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Fire fighting

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Marseille - Marseille

MSN:

1022

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

Pélican 22

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in a fire fighting mission under call sign Pélican 22, carrying two pilots and a firefighter. While fighting a fire on the slope of a wooded mountain, the airplane struck the ground and crashed in flames. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Roger Carcasses, pilot,
Roger Faugeron, pilot.
Passenger:
F. Mosali, firefighter.

Subscribe to Flight